Doctrine of the Bible

The term Bibliology (from Greek biblos meaning “book” and logos meaning “word, or to speak) refers to the study of the nature of the Bible as revelation. It often includes such topics as revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, canonicity, illumination, and interpretation.

The term Bibliology (from Greek biblos meaning “book”) refers to the study of the nature of the Bible as revelation. It often includes such topics as revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, canonicity, illumination, and interpretation.

What is Revelation?

We use the term “revelation” to translate the Greek term ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis), which means to “unveil” or “uncover.” Biblically speaking, revelation is the act and process whereby God makes Himself known to men and angels. This he has done through miracles, visions, dreams, theophanies, providential control of history, conscience, Jesus Christ, and Scripture. Theologians have spoken of general revelation through nature (i.e., the created order), conscience, and providentially orchestrated history and special or particular revelation primarily in Christ and Scripture (; ; ; ; ).

General Revelation

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” These verses tell us that all men can know that God exists and has eternal power. Creation cries out that a creator exists, but humans suppress the truth.

Now turn please to “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.” Here we see that all men have God’s law written on their heart and know right from wrong innately.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

In essence here God has given all men creation that shows his existence and his power, and he has given all men the ability to know right from wrong and we call this general revelation. It is important to not that General Revelation does not provide enough information for man to come to saving faith. General Revelation is enough to cause man to search for answers and to look for a fuller revelation of God. It sets the stage if you will for the next kind of Revelation we will look at.

There is a lot more in these verses that we can unpack here but we are focusing on , but seeing as we are focusing on Revelation right now, it is important to not that general revelation is equally available to all men at all times. General Revelation alone is unable to it alone cannot save, it is nonetheless both essential and preparatory to special revelation.

Thus general revelation is equally available to all men at all times and while it alone cannot save, it is nonetheless both essential and preparatory to special revelation.

Special Revelation

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

John MacArthur sums these two verses up best as he says “The writer of Hebrews is, in effect, saying God spoke on two occasions.  He spoke once long ago.  He speaks in these last days by His Son. Now, I believe that we are fair in assessing the fact that he has in mind here Old Testament revelation and New Testament revelation.  God spoke long ago to the Jewish fathers.  Those were the Old Testament prophets, those who received God’s Word long ago under the old covenant.  He spoke to those fathers by means of the prophets in many portions, polumers, many books, many sections, and you know that.  There’s the Pentateuch and there are the prophetic books and the historical books, and there are the books of poetry.  In many, many portions and in many books God spoke.  He spoke to the Jewish fathers.  He spoke by means of the prophets.”

“He also spoke, it says, in many ways, polutrops.  That means through vision and prophecy and parable and type and symbol and ceremony and theophany, and sometimes audible voice, and he even wrote with His finger on stone.  There were many ways in which God spoke many things, collected in many texts, put into many books, and He spoke to those of old by means of the prophets.  That is a statement with reference to the fact that the Old Testament is God speaking.”

Special Revelation then is God speaking to his creation and providing direct instruction to them. God provided this instruction in a few different ways:

Theophanies

A theophany is a visible manifestation to humankind of God. Let me give you a few examples of Theophany in the Bible:

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,” God appeared to Abraham to talk with him.

“And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.” God appeared to Isaac telling him what to do.

“So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” Jacob says he saw God face to face.

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” Moses talked with God who appeared to him in a burning bush.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles..” Jacob says he saw God face to face

All of these are examples of Theophanies and we could come up with many more if we wanted too, but I do not want to belabor the point

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Dreams and Visions

Another way God gives special revelation is through dreams and visions. Jacob’s Ladder in is an example, so are the dreams of Daniel and the book of Revelation was a vision as well.

Miracles and Signs

Miracles and signs are another example of Special Revelation. The flood in , The Burning Bush in , The Plagues in Egypt in , Parting of the Red sea in are all examples of Miracles and signs showing God’s power and showing he is worthy to be listened too and followed.

The flood in

The Burning Bush in

The Plagues in Egypt in

“and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” In summation Special Revelation is sufficient for salvation and equipping the Saints. General Revelation points to God, Special Revelation shows us who God is and how we can enter into a relationship with him.

Parting of the Red sea in

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

What is Inspiration?

“Inspiration” is the theological word, derived from the Latin term spiro, used to refer to the process whereby God superintended the human authors of scripture so that what they wrote was simultaneously their own words as well the Word of God himself and there are two key verse we will use to develop this theme, and .

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.” The word used for breathed out is Θεόπνευστος (theopneustos) and is a compound word from Theos meaning God and Pneustos meaning air or breath. God “breathed out” his words through the words (using the minds and personalities) of his spokespeople.

“Inspiration” is the theological word, derived from the Latin term spiro, used to refer to the process whereby God superintended the human authors of scripture so that what they wrote was simultaneously their own words as well the Word of God himself; God “breathed out” his words through the words (using the minds and personalities) of his spokespeople. Thus, through Spirit-inspired writings God has preserved an historical/theological record of his words and deeds and has given it to his covenant people as a means of grace that they might trust him fully and obey him implicitly. As a result of our sinfulness and finiteness we stand in need of such divine guidance and wisdom; scripture was inspired to that end.

“knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Thus, through Spirit-inspired writings God has preserved an historical/theological record of his words and deeds and has given it to his covenant people as a means of grace that they might trust him fully and obey him implicitly. As a result of our sinfulness and finiteness we stand in need of such divine guidance and wisdom; scripture was inspired to that end.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Inspiration, however, is not just mechanical dictation as if they were stenographers in a court room; but rather occurred in a variety of situations involving the writers as whole people (their minds, emotions, wills, etc.) in their own particular life situations (linguistic, religious, political, economic, etc.). The end product, however, was always God's Word to man through man (; ) and carries God's full weight and authority. Technically speaking, inspiration applies to the autographs (not copies or translations).

Some theologians have referred to the verbal (extending to the actual words, not just concepts), plenary (the entire Bible, not only those parts that seem to speak directly to issues of faith and practice) inspiration of Scripture. In my opinion, this is the view that (1) best corresponds to the view of OT writers, the prophets, Christ himself and his apostles, and (2) best represents the historic position/understanding of the church on this issue. Since the Enlightenment in France and Germany (17th/18th centuries), however, it has been fashionable to deny the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture in light of apparent historical inaccuracies and philosophical objections, particularly with the existence and nature of God as well as the limitations of language. But, while we can learn much from these views, we may safely set aside their anti-supernaturalistic prejudices as both unfounded and contrary to the teaching of Jesus who himself strongly upheld the complete trustworthiness of Scripture without reserve (e.g., ).

What is Inerrancy?

Inerrancy, although not always properly defined, is a logical corollary to inspiration and in no way diminishes the human authorship of scripture. If what the authors of Scripture penned was indeed under the supernatural influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit (as is properly affirmed), then since God is true, what they wrote and affirmed is in all ways true as well. Thus inerrancy applies to the autographs and Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic copies insofar as they faithfully reproduce the autographs. The doctrine rightly teaches that the scriptures are without error in all that they affirm (i.e., properly interpreted), whether they refer to geographical, historical, or theological issues. Thus the scriptures are the final authority in matters of faith and practice and take precedence over tradition, culture, and creed. This doctrine also allows for different literary styles, poor grammar, approximations in numbers, etc. ().

What do we mean by Canon?

The sixty-six books of scripture constitute the Prostestant canon in that they provide God's rule for faith and life. The process of canonicity involves the church's recognition of the divine origin and authority of the sixty-six books of scripture. She, as the redeemed community, constituted of those who have genuine faith in Jesus Christ, is qualified for this task. It is important to note, however, that she did not determine which books were canonical, but only recognized those books which were canonical; scripture is self-authenticating. In the case of the Old Testament, generally speaking, she received it as the authoritative Bible of her Lord and his apostles, i.e., the prophetic message of God which was now fulfilled in and through Christ. In the case of the New Testament, the church, by applying varying tests such as apostolicity (was it written by an apostle or authenticated by an apostle?), universality (was it widely read and accepted?), and character (sufficiently spiritual, directed at godliness, doctrinal content in agreement with other apostles) recognized which books were “from the Lord” and which were not, though the process was by no means finalized by the end of the first century. In AD 367, in the 39th Easter Letter of Athanasius, we find a list of the 27 books of the NT we have today. This list was accepted by the churches east of the Mediterranean while churches in the west came to accept the same list some 30 years later, in AD 397, at the Council of Carthage.

There are undoubtedly many reasons which prompted early Christians to preserve the writings of the apostles, but perhaps the passing away of the apostles as well as the development of heresies (e.g., Marcion) and doctrinal disputes, were two of the most significant, negatively viewed. Also, the Diocletian persecution (AD 303-11), in which Christians were tortured, their property taken, and their sacred books destroyed by fire, undoubtedly helped to move the church along in its recognition of which books were sacred (i.e., inspired) and which were not. That is, there arose the need to know which books to copy and preserve in light of the possibility that the state continue to try and destroy the faith.

The extent of the canon has been in some question among Protestants and Catholics since the addition of the Apocrypha at the Council of Trent (AD 1545-63). Anyone who has read these books will find them spiritually encouraging, much the same as reading great Christian literature, but they should not be regarded as on par with the 66 books, a fact which is recognized even by the Catholic church in its reference to them as deuterocanonical.

What is Illumination?

Illumination refers to the work of the Spirit in the believer/believing community enabling him/her/them to understand, welcome, and apply biblical truth (cf. ). For our part, we are to follow sound methods of interpretation in keeping with the nature of Scripture and generally accepted principles for understanding written communication. Further, we are, by faith in Christ, to put into practice that which the Scripture teaches us, lest we become blinded by our accumulated ignorance () and progressively blurred in our comprehension of spiritual realities. In this way illumination increases and our grip on the truth strengthens (or perhaps its grip on us!). See also the next section, entitled, “Interpretation.”

What is Interpretation

If Illumination is the work of the Spirit to help believers understand and apply Scripture, interpretation, broadly conceived, is the thought-through method we should follow in this endeavor. Interpretation involves, then, three elements: (1) coming to scripture humbly with a knowledge of my presuppositions, traditions, and cultural influences so as not to blunt or skew the force of scripture (but rather to allow it to leave its mark on me); (2) understanding what an author meant when he said such and such, and (3) understanding what he means, that is, how it applies to our lives today. Thus, in the first step we are interested in gaining an awareness of how our culture, tradition, and past acquaintance with Scripture has affected us. In the second step we are interested in the grammatical-historical meaning of a passage of Scripture. In order to achieve this we study the words of a text in their historical context, the literary structure of a passage, its mood, and the kind (genre) of literature it is. Combined with this is the comparing of scripture with scripture (e.g., interpreting the obscure by the clear) and ultimately the teaching of the Bible as a whole. In this way, and through the illuminating work of the Spirit, the church comes to grips with the meaning and abiding relevance of Scripture.

But this is only half the job. Moses did not write Deuteronomy and Paul did not pen Philippians simply to be understood (i.e., between one’s ears). Rather, they wrote to save, guide, instruct, and orient other believers to God’s will. In short, their writings call for a response and this involves first letting the Bible speak to me; convicting, educating, encouraging, and showing me where to go. I must bring my presuppositions and patterns of life to the passage and allow it to judge and straighten. Then I must allow the Scripture “as the very voice of God himself” to speak to my community and the larger world-context in which I live. The Lordship of Christ extends to the entire universe! And we must remember that his word is a primary way in which he expresses his grace oriented, kingly rule over us.

What is Revelation?

Revelation simply means “unveiling.” It is often defined in relation to the Bible as God making known to men what otherwise would be unknown. However, this is not a great definition because there are many things in the Bible which were known simply because men were eye witnesses to the events. Bit there are also many things that we would never know except for divine revelation. “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything even the depths of God” (). Revelation is used here to mean the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. As we can see revelation can be through natural means of supernatural means; it can relate to persons or propositions; it can refer to particular parts of the Bible or the entire Bible, and it can refer to the content of the Bible or to the interpretation of that content.

Special

What do we mean by Canon?

The sixty-six books of scripture constitute the Prostestant canon in that they provide God's rule for faith and life. The process of canonicity involves the church's recognition of the divine origin and authority of the sixty-six books of scripture. She, as the redeemed community, constituted of those who have genuine faith in Jesus Christ, is qualified for this task. It is important to note, however, that she did not determine which books were canonical, but only recognized those books which were canonical; scripture is self-authenticating. In the case of the Old Testament, generally speaking, she received it as the authoritative Bible of her Lord and his apostles, i.e., the prophetic message of God which was now fulfilled in and through Christ. In the case of the New Testament, the church, by applying varying tests such as apostolicity (was it written by an apostle or authenticated by an apostle?), universality (was it widely read and accepted?), and character (sufficiently spiritual, directed at godliness, doctrinal content in agreement with other apostles) recognized which books were “from the Lord” and which were not, though the process was by no means finalized by the end of the first century. In AD 367, in the 39th Easter Letter of Athanasius, we find a list of the 27 books of the NT we have today. This list was accepted by the churches east of the Mediterranean while churches in the west came to accept the same list some 30 years later, in AD 397, at the Council of Carthage.

There are undoubtedly many reasons which prompted early Christians to preserve the writings of the apostles, but perhaps the passing away of the apostles as well as the development of heresies (e.g., Marcion) and doctrinal disputes, were two of the most significant, negatively viewed. Also, the Diocletian persecution (AD 303-11), in which Christians were tortured, their property taken, and their sacred books destroyed by fire, undoubtedly helped to move the church along in its recognition of which books were sacred (i.e., inspired) and which were not. That is, there arose the need to know which books to copy and preserve in light of the possibility that the state continue to try and destroy the faith.

The extent of the canon has been in some question among Protestants and Catholics since the addition of the Apocrypha at the Council of Trent (AD 1545-63). Anyone who has read these books will find them spiritually encouraging, much the same as reading great Christian literature, but they should not be regarded as on par with the 66 books, a fact which is recognized even by the Catholic church in its reference to them as deuterocanonical.

Is our present text reliable?

The short answer to this is yes. This is a very extensive topic dealing manuscript records, and lines of transmission and is honestly a branch of study unto it self. I do not want to get too deep into this topic, but instead paint a picture that we can practically use. In essence God, through his divine power and decree has, has supernaturally and sovereignty shepherded his word through the ages by the faithful copying of manuscripts. The Word of God will go forth regardless of how much the enemy works to stop it. You can feel safe in your reading of the Word knowing that it will communicate what God has intended it to communicate.

This inevitably leads to the question why do we have so many versions of the bible in the world today? I will spend a few minutes discussing translation methodology by the different translation groups. There are three dominant views for translation purposes:

The Word for Word translation

The thought for thought translation

The paraphrase

Discuss the screen

Our belief about the Bible

Again studying what we believe about the Bible is foundational to the rest of our faith. We build our beliefs upon this word, and need to have full confidence in this foundation and that it is reliable, accurate and worth our study. To sum everything up I want to leave you with a short statement about the bible and what we know to be true.

We hold a high view of Scripture and believe that the Bible is the verbal, plenary inspired word of God revealed once and for all to mankind, without error, and is the full measure of our faith and practice.